Peter given second chance and so are we

By Philip Schroeder, Guest Columnist

Published
1:36 pm CDT, Wednesday, May 22, 2013

After Jesus rose from the dead, Peter and some of the other disciples left Jerusalem and went north to Galilee. An angel had said, “Go tell the disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'”

While waiting, Peter decides to go fishing and six other disciples go with him. They fish all night and catch nothing.

The next morning, Jesus calls out to them from shore, “Children, you didn't catch any fish, did you?”

They still don't recognize him. When they realize that it is Jesus, Peter plunges into the water and swims ashore leaving his friends to haul in the fish.

Then the whole thing happens a third time. The third time Peter hears the question, he is hurt, perhaps because it feels like Jesus doesn't believe him.

There are four lessons for us here.

First, Jesus restores. Just as Peter denied Christ three times, he is given the opportunity to proclaim his love for Jesus three times.

God is the God of second chances. Peter gets to start over and so do we!

Second, before we can be restored, we must be broken first. Peter went outside and wept bitterly after he denied Christ and Jesus looked at him.

Here, he is hurt again as he is reminded of his betrayal and of the grace of Christ. We must understand that we did wrong and abandon our pride if we are to truly experience restoration.

Third, notice that Jesus tells Peter to do something. Faith without works is dead. Peter gets a chance to declare his love for Christ with his deeds, not just his words. The Peter that we see in the New Testament after this is a changed man.

Fourth, works without love are dead too. Jesus first asks Peter if Peter loves him before giving him an assignment.

Our motivation for whatever good we do should be love for God and love for others. If we do good to “get something” or because of how it looks, then our motivation is merely self-love.

Doing good without love is worthless.

“If I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” (I Corinthians 13:2-3)